Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing terminal and a browser storage management method, which provide a data storage mechanism for a web browser in, for example, HTML5.
Description of the Related Art
Along with the growth in the functionality of web applications, various kinds of function extension have been done in HTML5. In particular, as mobile terminals such as a smartphone and a tablet have become widespread, many extensions to operate a web application offline have been done. An example of an extended function is an application cache function of caching a file on a web server into a storage area for a web browser. Another example is a web storage or indexed DB function of storing data in a storage area for a web browser. There also exists a file system API function of operating a file in a storage area for a web browser. The storage areas for a web browser in which data is stored by the above-described extended functions and the like will generically be referred to as a browser storage hereinafter. Still another example of the extended function is a web workers function of executing time-consuming processing or the like in the background.
As a conventional technique, a user management function of a web browser exists. With the user management function, data such as a bookmark, browsing history, setting information of the web browser, and data in the browser storage can be managed on a user basis. A browser storage that stores data on a user basis in a case where a user has logged in will be referred to as a user-specific storage or user storage hereinafter. On the other hand, a browser storage that stores data in a case where no user has logged in will be referred to as a normal storage.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-206962 discloses the technology of a multi function peripheral including a web browser. According to this technique, the multi function peripheral includes a mode setting unit capable of selecting a user authentication enabled mode and a user authentication disabled mode. In the user authentication disabled mode, cookie information is discarded after the end of the operation of the web browser. This makes it possible to reduce the security risk of individual information leakage by cookie information.
Anyone can easily refer to data stored in the browser storage. Hence, when a plurality of persons use one web browser, use of the browser storage is problematic from the viewpoint of security or privacy. In the above-described user management function of the web browser as well, anyone can easily switch the user. Hence, even in the user management function, use of the browser storage is problematic from the viewpoint of security or privacy. In addition, if data in the browser storage is discarded after the end of the operation of the web browser, as in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-206962, the web application that uses the browser storage cannot normally be used.